Heaven on Earth
by EdwardsSoul101
Summary: Occurs 12 years after Eclipse. Vampires have existed without werewolves for a decade, but what will happen when a new species appears that could wipe them both out? All original characters, pairings, species etc. unchanged. Bella’s POV. Daily updates !
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_A/N:__ Occurs 12 years after Eclipse. Vampires have existed without werewolves for a decade, but what will happen when a new species appears that could wipe them both out? All original characters, pairings, species etc. unchanged. Bella's POV._

It's been twelve years now. Twelve years since I agreed to marry Edward. Twelve years since Victoria was killed, since Jacob got injured trying to protect Leah in the fight. Twelve years ago, I finally kept my promise and became Isabella Marie Cullen, and twelve years ago Edward kept his promise, too. Twelve years had passed with me living as a member of the Cullen family, as a vampire. And twelve years of me learning to control my need for blood, amongst other lessons I needed to learn.

I never once regretted becoming a vampire; there was nothing in my life before that could compare to spending a lifetime as Edward's companion. Of course, there were things that made me unhappy, for example my mother decided to have another baby, with Phil. I was sad that I would never get to meet my half-sister. And Charlie, he ended up remarrying to a woman who joined the Forks police force shortly after I 'disappeared'. I was upset that I could never laugh with her at my father's absurd perceptions, or his inability to cook the simplest of meals. And finally, I was sad that I never got to see Jacob Black again, not after I said goodbye to him while he was still injured. I had a growing suspicion that someone had invited him to mine and Edward's wedding even though I had requested they didn't, but I could never know for sure so I let it drop. I was disappointed that my former best friend couldn't find it in himself to see me off into my new life.

I hadn't seen any other werewolves, for that matter, since I departed from Forks. I had thought they were almost as common as vampires were, but apparently both species had become scarce over the centuries. But even after twelve years of vampirism, of learning the ups and downs that came with it, and learning things not fit for human ears, I thought I knew all there was to know about the world, and the 'mythical' creatures that lurked in it.

I thought I knew it all, up until Sunday morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

I sat on a shiny, leather sofa, curled up against my partner. Edward's golden eyes looked into mine, thoroughly content with life. I smiled, laughing at myself inwardly that I still found him so dazzling. I could be fairly dazzling myself, these days.

We both heard the squeak of a boy's bicycle outside the front window before we saw it, and we both anticipated the sound of a thick, heavy newspaper being flung onto the front doormat. I saw a glint in his eyes, and we both shot out of our seats, racing each other to fetch the paper first. We still had immature moments like this often, even though Edward was technically over 110 years old, and I was 30 myself. "Immortalised at seventeen, his mind always remains seventeen," Carlisle had once told me. I was very close with Edward's whole family, of course, and all eight of us were living under one roof at the moment.

Edward got to the paper first; after my newborn blood had run out, he remained the fastest runner out of all the Cullens. He held the paper between his sharp teeth, scooped me up in his arms and carried me back to the sofa. It was a sunny day, but it was okay to risk going out to get the paper because it was still so early in the morning.

We resumed the same position as we were previously in, Edward sat upright with his hand in my hair, and me curled up at his side with my head on his shoulder. Both our eyes darted across the front page, but they both had very different reactions. My eyes curled upwards while I tried not to laugh out loud. Contrarily, Edward's eyes widened with shock and confusion. Carlisle had silently appeared in the room before Edward had even opened his mouth to beckon him.

"I see you've read the news," Carlisle stated the obvious. I felt a little uncomfortable that he was only speaking for my benefit; I had never quite got used to the fact that the two of them could have conversations without speaking. I never had that privilege, me still being immune to Edward's 'power' and all.

"What, you guys are actually taking this seriously?" I asked, shocked. The news headline stated:

"ANGELS ATTACK BRITISH CITY. WHAT ARE THESE CUNNING CREATURES?"

Even I knew for sure that angels didn't exist, despite some of my human descriptions of Edward. I looked between the two men, awaiting an answer. They shared a glance, and it seems that the outcome of their silent discussion was to tell me all they knew.

"Bella, up until about a year ago, everything you know about non-human creatures was true," Carlisle began. I could feel the confusion on my face. "It turns out, werewolves and vampires are no longer the only two species to exist among humans."

I looked at Edward, pressing him for more information. He obliged, of course. "Apparently there's an ex-scientist somewhere in Britain who's been… experimenting," he tried to put it lightly, but I still flinched. "He's been trying to create a new species, angels, as the paper put it."

"How do you two know all this?" I butted in. "None of us have been anywhere near Britain recently, as far as I know," I said accusingly.

"Don't worry Bella, no-one's been to Britain," Carlisle soothed. "I have my sources." He tapped his nose mysteriously, and reached for a mobile phone inside his pocket. His long fingers shot across the keys, and the phone began to ring. He pressed the speaker button so that Edward and I could hear the conversation, and motioned for us to stay quiet.

The ringing stopped after a couple of seconds. "Name," the phone answered, impatiently. The voice carried an English accent, and although the word was spoken sharply, it had a certain charisma.

"Nicholas, it's Dr Carlisle Cullen," Carlisle spoke quickly but clearly.

"Yes, I'm sure it is," Nicholas replied sarcastically. I shortly came to the conclusion that he got phone calls from people begging him for information quite regularly.

"Now tell me," Nicholas continued, "how am I supposed to finish my studies when I am constantly being interrupted by nagging phone calls?" He sounded irritated, which was perfectly fair in my point of view.

Carlisle had a smile on his face, which surprised me, considering the rudeness from the other end of the phone. "You, my dear friend, should consider taking your happy pills in their prescribed doses," he replied, still grinning. It didn't take a genius to work out this was an old joke between the pair.

"Carlisle! It really is you!" Nicholas exclaimed. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of hearing from you after such a long time?"

Carlisle looked guilty. "I'm sorry, Nick, I've just been so busy these last few years." I mouthed "sorry" at him, but he shook his head.

"But now is not the time for gossip," Carlisle continued.

"What is it the time for then, friend?" Nicholas asked.

"According to a newspaper my son read," Carlisle stated nodding in Edward's direction, "there are a certain group of mythical creatures terrorising your beautiful hometown," he concluded sincerely.

The statement resulted in a pause from the other end of the phone, a silence which was eventually broken by a single word. "Rushmore."

"I'm sorry?" Carlisle probed for more information.

"Dr Martin Rushmore. He lives here, in my city. He can tell you more… It's all down to him, after all… Just be careful around him, Carlisle. He's not a vampire, but he's not human either so he may well still be a threat to you. I can't tell you any more." The line went dead, and the sound of the dial tone seemed to echo around the room for hours.

Carlisle suddenly shut off the phone, and stepped into the hallway, where everyone in the house could hear him.

"Everyone," he announced, "I have some news. We are going on a little trip to England."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After explaining the situation to everyone, the whole family wanted to come to England and investigate the 'angels'.

We decided to leave at midnight that night, which was as soon as we could go without raising too much suspicion. We had to take a plane; it was quicker than running, even for us. Alice arranged for a roomy private jet to escort us, and of course she talked about shopping in London for the entire journey. I was personally thankful for the invention of mp3 players with headphones.

Questions swam around my head throughout the journey, some escaping through my lips. What were these 'angel' creatures? How had they come to exist? And, most importantly, why was it vital for us to go all the way to London to find out?

The final question was answered by Edward, who subtly reminded me that London had been Carlisle's hometown, and he still felt the need to protect it.

We arrived in London no less than nine hours after departure, though because of the time difference, it wasn't even 1am. Carlisle shortly found a hotel for us to stay in, and booked four double rooms for two weeks. I had previously had no idea how long it would take us to track down this 'doctor', so the figure didn't surprise me.

Once we had all settled into our rooms, Carlisle summoned all of us to his and Esme's room. I knew the reason for this, of course; it was time for me to use my somewhat helpful 'power'.

When I had first become a vampire, I thought I had no powers at all, or no obvious ones anyway. Carlisle had this theories; he thought I might be able to do something involving my previous talents. Considering these talents happened to be falling down and cooking the occasional good meal, I wasn't expecting anything amazing.

However, about a year after I was changed, I found myself thinking about Jacob one day, and wondering where he was at that precise moment. Suddenly, I experienced the oddest feeling; it was like I had no feeling, no senses, except my sight. I could see an enormous wood in front of me, and three wolves, who I recognised to be Seth, Paul and Embry. I was shocked, and found myself screaming, which of course awakened me from the trance-like state I had apparently been in. After explaining what I saw, and trying a few experiments afterwards, I discovered my power.

I was able to see through the eyes of any werewolf I knew by name, and pinpoint exactly where they were. As far as I could tell, the wolf itself had no idea of my 'presence'.

Anyway, back to London. Since we knew Dr Rushmore was not human, and not a vampire, we were pretty sure he was a werewolf already. Carlisle nodded at me, indicating it was my turn to be useful to the Cullen family; my gift had not brought us much luck in previous years.

I closed my eyes, and thought Dr Martin Rushmore's name clearly inside my head. I imagined him as a large, muscular man, with thick grey hair on top of his round head. Suddenly, I felt that feeling as if I was detached from my body except from my eyes again, and I saw a small lab. The room was very dark, with just one small window right near the ceiling. I came to the conclusion that the room must have been a basement room, and the walls were brown with damp.

I looked up at the little window, and saw a blue and red sign with the word "EUSTON" across it. I took a mental picture of this sign, and then returned to my family in the hotel room.

I described for Carlisle the sign I had seen. Having never visited England before, I obviously didn't know that this was a sign for a London underground tube station. Fortunately, we could easily pinpoint exactly where Dr Rushmore was from what I had seen, and we decided to pay him a visit the next morning.

We all returned to our own rooms for the evening, and I spent all night happily in Edward's arms, while he sang to me softly.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N:__ Sorry for no update yesterday, I had to play in a concert... Anyway, I'll try to continue daily updates after this one. Enjoy!  
_

**Chapter 4**

We waited until very early in the morning, while it was still dark but we would easily have enough time to find, and hopefully interrogate, Dr Rushmore before it got light. Alice protested at the thought of trying to 'conquer our mission' (as she put it) before sightseeing and shopping, but Esme reassured her that there would be plenty of time for that after we had found Dr Rushmore. The start of our 'mission' was slightly held up by Emmett and Rose, who seemed to be enjoying their night in a London hotel a little too much.

The eight of us eventually left the hotel stealthily, avoiding waking other guests. Even the hotel employee on the front desk had fallen asleep as we walked past, and Alice struggled to hide her erupting giggles. Jasper motioned for her to be quiet, smiling, and squeezed her hand. His action caused the rest of us to start smiling, because of his power to influence others' emotions. We were all trying so hard not to laugh by the time we came to exiting the hotel, we practically fell out of the door.

"Why are we… so hysterical? It's not… even funny!" I managed to force out between fits of laughter.

"You're right, Bella… We should be being… serious… we're about to try and… catch a werewolf scientist!" Edward managed to answer me breathlessly.

This remark made us all laugh even harder. We were starting to attract glares from the occasional person who was out this early in the morning. I could almost hear them thinking, "How irresponsible of them to get drunk and then make fools of themselves." To be honest, I might have been thinking this about us myself if it was someone else.

Eventually, we all stopped laughing and gasping for air we didn't need. Carlisle led us to Tottenham Court Road, where we began to run past Warren Street Station, onto Euston Road and towards Euston Station. I was always surprised at the feeling I got from running now; I had been so afraid of it before, but now the whole sensation was completely exhilarating. This was probably under Edward's influence, he had convinced me to race him many times while I was a newborn to test how strong I was. I only beat him once, and I still used that as ammunition if he happened to gloat about his sprinting skills.

I almost ran straight into Jasper when we arrived at Euston Station. I hadn't seen it coming; this road looked exactly like all the others. I found myself questioning those who thought London was beautiful. I suppose I hadn't seen the rest of it yet, though. I was sure I would soon though, if Alice had anything to do with it.

I walked back and forth in front of the station for a couple of minutes, trying to find the angle I saw the sign from. I finally discovered I had seen it from the right hand side of the entrance, and Edward promptly found a window leading to a basement room. Pointing towards the room, the other seven of us froze, unaware of what we would find in the dark, underground room.

After a short but silent conference between Edward and Carlisle, it was decided that the two of them would go in first, and the rest of us would follow if it became necessary. Emmett, of course, protested, but soon calmed down as Rosalie whispered words of compensation in his ear. Alice and I exchanged a glance, faking gagging sounds.

Edward brushed his cold, soft hand against the line of my jaw, and kissed me softly before moving towards the little window. I shivered, although I didn't know why considering I didn't feel the cold anymore.

The six of us watched, hushed, from the other side of the road, trying not to look too suspicious. To be fair, we had encountered very few people on our way here, and we were not likely to see any more at this time of night.

Carlisle opened the window, surprised that it was unlocked. He warily stuck his head through its frame, gazing thoroughly at the whole room before entering. Edward shortly followed, leaving the rest of us at a complete loss to what was going on.

Alice suddenly stopped breathing, and took on a trance-like state. Jasper stood beside her, holding her hand, and sending out muffled waves of anxiety to the rest of us. Esme placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly, and he smiled.

Alice shook her head, awakened, and started to speak about what she had seen. She spoke quickly, even for her, but I caught most of what she was saying.

"I saw Rushmore… He was telling Carlisle and Edward what they are. The 'angels', I mean," she explained. "But that's not our main concern right now… He's about to turn into a wolf. I think we need to go in right now," she concluded.

Every one of us nodded our heads in agreement, and we entered the basement room one by one.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Having been one of the first to enter the dingy room, I waited by the window for the last person, Jasper, to enter before moving.

None of us were shocked to find Carlisle and Edward pinning a greasy man with glasses and a dirty white coat to one of the damp walls. The man was grinning, on the verge of bursting into evil laughter. Carlisle and Edward, on the other hand, looked worried, and slightly shaken.

I could tell Edward was having trouble staying calm, and he was beginning to grind one of Rushmore's arms into the wall. He winced, but did not move otherwise. Edward and Carlisle were currently unaware of our presence, and Alice glided up to them carefully to let them know we had arrived.

A look of comprehension, then concern, crossed Edward's pale face. He glanced at me, probably working out a route to get to me as quickly as possible if necessary, then went back to interrogating Rushmore.

"Is there… an antidote?" Carlisle ventured. Rushmore smiled evilly, showing all of his stained teeth, and shook his head.

"Of course there bloody isn't. Why would I want to create a cure for the most magnificent thing I have ever invented?" Rushmore stated, as if it was obvious.

"Why, Rushmore? Why did you do it?" Edward demanded, grinding his perfect teeth together threateningly. I found myself gazing at him lovingly, and told myself to concentrate.

"Why not? Don't you enjoy your rivalry with the wolves, boy? I just wanted to start up that flame again," Rushmore revealed. Edward released a low growl, and his eyes narrowed. I could practically hear Carlisle sending warnings his way in thoughts, but Edward took no notice.

"Heh heh heh," Rushmore laughed, mocking him. "Do you really think you could beat me? Any of you?" he asked, sweeping a look across all of us. "I belong to one of the strongest surviving pack of wolves. They all worship me; they could kill you in a second," he boasted.

Edward growled again, louder this time, and Emmett joined in. Rushmore laughed again, hysterical now, and shaking waves ripped through his bony body.

I looked away, unsure as to whether I wanted to witness this change, and when I looked back there was no-one in the human-shaped dent in the wall behind Edward and Carlisle. I wondered for a second why Edward had let him escape, before rushing towards him and enveloping him in a cold embrace.

He stroked my hair, obviously still furious, but calming down thanks to Jasper. I inhaled his scent while trying to figure out in my head what this all meant.

Rushmore had invented the 'angels', but I didn't know how, at least not yet. He did it because he wanted to recreate the rivalry between wolves and vampires, although I didn't quite see how the angels were going to do this.

As if reading my mind, Edward stepped out of my arms to explain to the whole family what he had found out from Rushmore.

"There's still a lot that we don't know about these 'angels', but one thing we do know is their real name," Edward began.

"Pegasi," Carlisle stated. "That's the name of this new species. It comes from the Greek word for 'strong'. Pegasus was a winged horse who was allegedly created when Medusa's blood spilled onto the Earth."

"Rushmore created a potion, a 'medicine' of some nature, that would turn humans into Pegasi when drunk," Edward continued. "This potion makes the human grow permanent wings, amongst other perks. Their natural instinct is to kill; they will slaughter anything that gets in their way, even their own brother if it came to it."

"According to Rushmore, they will eventually evolve to kill everything on the planet except their own kind," Carlisle concluded. "They are lethal. And it's up to us to do something about it."

He looked at each of the faces of his family in turn, and every one of us nodded in approval.

"In that case," Carlisle said, satisfied, "we should probably stay here for a while. I have a feeling that isn't the last evil scientist we're going to see."

Each of us sat down on the floor, except Edward, who was still pacing in fury. I felt useless, because there was nothing I could do to soothe him. After a while, and after he had worn a metaphorical hole in the floor of the 'lab', he sat down next to me, sighing. I laid my head on his shoulder possessively, wondering how dangerous these Pegasi really were.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I had never been very good at timekeeping. My 'body clock' hadn't been quite up to scratch, even though I'd never really had to cope with any dramatic time differences or anything. So I really didn't know how much time had passed between Rushmore leaving and three more enormous, angry wolves arriving right in front of us. They crashed hurriedly through the tiny window, shattering it on first impact.

Alice, who had been frowning for quite a while, didn't look the slightest bit confused. The rest of us, however, exchanged shocked glances. The wolves, not at all dazed from crashing through a very small window, formed a v-shape and growled at us collectively, obviously ready to attack. This was obviously due to our earlier encounter with 'Dr' Rushmore.

The eight of us shot to our feet, and took up a fighting stance. Emmett growled, his sharp teeth looking scarily menacing even after I knew him to be a softie at heart. I looked between the three wolves, checking their sizes to find out how many of us would need to attack each one in order to survive as a whole.

While assessing the smallest wolf, who happened to be standing behind a muscular brown wolf, I recognised her long, dark eyelashes, and her small, grey physique. I then realised I also knew this wolf was a 'she', which lead me to a certain conclusion.

"…Leah?" I barely even whispered the word, afraid of its effect on the three wolves. Edward heard me immediately, and his eyes changed from hungry for revenge to curious and frightened. He crept closer to the smallest wolf, intrigued. She didn't shrink back, but remained standing tall and confident. She had either grown even more full of herself, or had finally grown up and found some real confidence.

Leah scanned her large eyes across the rest of the Cullens, finally recognising them from all those years ago. She had barely known them, even a decade ago, so I was slightly surprised to find she still knew them now. Lastly, her eyes met with my own, and she frowned. Even in wolf form, I could read her emotions like a book.

She flicked back her head, full of self-assurance again, and turned around. If it hadn't been for this action, I might have literally fainted at the sight I came across next.

A fourth wolf glided through the already-destroyed window. The wolf possessed a grace that even some vampires lacked (mainly myself), and he came to a halt in the darkest part of the room, directly in front of Leah. She simply nodded in the direction of my family, and spoke some unheard words to her superior. The wolf before her was obviously the leader of her pack, by his body language and pure amount of muscle. Edward shook his head, and when I looked at him, the corners of his mouth were turned up. He was trying not to laugh. I frowned, and leant my ear towards him so I could be in on the 'joke'. He simply whispered to me, "You'll see," before kissing me lightly and relaxing his stance.

This action- the kiss, not the relaxation- attracted the wolf's attention, and he stepped forward cautiously. Once his rusty-coloured form came into the light, I recognised him instantly, and almost keeled over. I knew that vampires didn't vomit (well of course we didn't, if we didn't eat then what would there be to throw up?) but I was certain that I came very close at that moment. Edward, seeing that I was stunned, wrapped his arm around my waist to support me.

The wolf looked at me questioningly, clearly not recognising me as quickly as I did him, and I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. His sharp glare caught me off-guard, and I stumbled to the ground. I never expected to see those eyes again, let alone while they were judging me.

Contrary to most of my family, Rosalie ran to my side, still oblivious to why I was acting this way. "Bella, what's the matter? Are you hurt?" she asked, thoughtfully.

My tongue was dry, and I found it hard to speak. I couldn't think of a word to describe how I was feeling, so I settled for the cause instead.

"…Jacob," I mouthed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_FLASHBACK: Ten years ago_

I sat on the edge of the large, soft bed that now belonged to both Edward and myself. I waited quietly for Edward to return. He had told me no less than ten seconds ago that he had a surprise for me, and that I was to wait here.

I chewed the inside of my lip, curious to what Edward's surprise was. Before he left, he had put a CD in his enormous sound system, and it now played softly. I realised after a few lines that I recognised this song, Renee used to like the band so played it around the house often.

I leaned off the bed slightly to look out of the door. Seeing that nobody was around, I decided to try out my new vampire voice by singing along. I was happily shocked at my new voice; its softness weaved perfectly with the melody I could hear, and I raised the volume of my voice to match the singer's.

Typically, this was the point at which Edward decided to return. He stood silently in the doorway while I remained unaware of his presence. The chorus of the song arrived, and I found myself singing louder than I ever had as a human. Edward chuckled to himself. I heard him of course, and stopped singing immediately.

"Don't stop," Edward coaxed. "Your voice is beautiful," he complimented, walking over to me and sitting beside me. I smiled, and thanked the heavens that vampires didn't blush, or I would be beetroot by now.

"So, what was that surprise you were telling me about?" I asked, before I became too tempted by the fire in his eyes to be able to think coherently, let alone speak.

"Ah, of course. Follow me," he revealed, flashing me a glimpse of an off-white sheet of paper. I frowned, still curious, but obliged.

He led me down the stairs, entering into the front room of the house, which housed his grand piano.

He sat down, patting the space beside him for me to join him. I smiled, thinking he had perhaps composed a piece for me, but it was unusual for him to use music at his piano. He could read it, of course, but he preferred to compose by ear.

He began to play, a very soft and simple melody consisting mainly of chords. I leaned back, listening, when he suddenly stopped playing and turned to look at me.

I frowned, questioning his reason for stopping. He simply raised his eyebrows almost cheekily, and pointed at the score in front of him. He underlined two words with his finger: "Female voice".

I looked at him, no longer oblivious. "You want me to sing?" I stated the obvious, and he laughed softly.

"I'm not forcing you, I just thought it would be something nice we could do together," he explained, smiling.

"You only think it's nice because you're not the one who has to sing!" I exclaimed. He shook his head, and underlined two more words with his finger: "Male voice".

"Oh," I sighed, defeated. I supposed I could sing, if I would get to hear him sing too.

He stretched out his hands, and began to play the first few chords again. Listening more carefully this time, I realised that I knew this song. It was from the same album as Edward had played earlier.

I licked my lips, and drew in a breath, preparing to sing. I began tentatively, my voice shaking a little. I managed to get the first couple of lines out in tune:

"_I find the map and draw a straight line, over rivers, farms, and straight lines."_

I continued singing, higher than I was really comfortable with, until I came to the end of the first verse. My turn was over, it was Edward's turn to sing now.

I looked at him, while he read the notes on the page carefully. I expected his singing voice to be perfect, just like everything else, but nothing could have prepared me for the sound I heard next.

His singing voice was velvet, like always, but with a breathy edge to it. He was perfectly in tune, enunciating every word carefully.

"_Your words in my memory, are like music to me."_

I continued to stare at him, falling even more in love than I had already, and almost missed my entry at the chorus. We both sang together, harmonising, and I sang more confidently with something more than just a piano supporting me.

"_And miles from where you are, I lay down on the cold ground and I, I pray that something picks me up, and sets me down in your warm arms."_

The first time singing the chorus, I thought about switching the words "cold" and "warm" around, simply because it would be more fitting. The second time of singing it, however, it hit me that Edward had chosen this song on purpose. He didn't just choose it because it could easily be accompanied by just a piano, nor did he choose it because of its beauty. He chose it to test me; to see if I was 'over' my not-so-secret longing for a certain warm pair of arms that did not belong to Edward. I looked away from his face, trying not to show my sudden realisation, but my voice betrayed me and shook slightly.

Edward heard this brief difference in my voice's tone, and turned to look at me, comforting. I took a deep, steady breath, and smiled. Even if I wasn't 'over' Jacob, even if I never would be, I wouldn't let Edward know that. I would battle against that small part of me that wanted someone else until it curled up and died, or at least until it laid dormant. I had to do this on my own.

_End flashback_

I was suddenly woken from my trance, and the memory I was reliving disintegrated into metaphorical dust. After having seen all the Cullens again, Jacob and his pack left briefly to phase back into human form. He had literally just returned through the tiny window, and landed almost immediately in front of me. His eyes were still angry and solemn, and that hurt me more than anything else.

"I guess you want to know more about these 'angel' things, right?" he addressed the other Cullens, but refused to even acknowledge I was capable of conversation. I shrank back into my position on the floor, and listened.

_A/N:__ The song that Bella listens to at the beginning is "Chasing Cars", and the one they sing is "Set Fire to the Third Bar", both by Snow Patrol. (Copyright to them, and all that.) If you haven't heard these songs, they're beautiful: seriously, go listen to them!_

_Oh, and I'll go back to the actual story next chapter, just wanted to include part of the reason for all the 'Jacob panic' and then some general fluff. :)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"A couple of years ago," Jacob began, "A werewolf in need of protection came to our pack." I nodded, as the notion was fairly simple. Jacob's pack was obviously strong, even all those years ago when it was brand new. Of course, when it was new, there were a couple of other members… I wondered worriedly what had happened to them.

Jacob interrupted my drifting thoughts as he continued. "We didn't want to accept him into our pack- he was nothing but trouble. But… He blackmailed me into it. Being the leader of the pack, the rest had to follow," he admitted, regretfully.

"So we've had to look out for him for the last few years, and believe me, it hasn't been easy," Jacob stated, a little embarrassed. "He's been working on his 'creations' for decades, apparently. And… Protecting him isn't the only job he assigned us to."

Carlisle looked worried. By his expression, I could tell he wasn't sure whether to trust Jacob's words or not. I sent a reassuring half-smile in his direction, and the lines in his forehead relaxed briefly.

"So, Jacob…" Edward jumped in, unexpectedly. "What does the potion do, exactly? I mean, we know about the wings and stuff, obviously."

"It also gives them other skills similar to birds, like they become immaculate navigators. And also, the potion only works on humans," Jacob said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, without thinking. I used to be so comfortable around Jacob, I had forgotten it might hurt him to see me as a vampire.

His head snapped around to look at me, a frown on his face. Edward suddenly let out a long breath, as if he finally understood something that he had been confused by originally. I frowned back at Jacob, but he continued regardless.

"I mean, if it's drunk by any non-human, it has side effects," he explained. "Like, for instance, if a vampire drinks it, it has no effect at all. No wings, nothing. However, if it's drunk by a werewolf… It kills them. Within minutes, apparently." Jacob looked surprisingly nonchalant, as if this fact didn't affect him at all.

"Well, I think that's all I know. I guess we're all just as in the dark as each other now," he concluded. He flashed a smile at the Cullens, but the emotion didn't reach his eyes. He turned to leave, beckoning the two members of his pack I didn't recognise and Leah to follow.

"Wait, Jake," I said feebly. Edward looked at me, puzzled, but I ignored him momentarily. "I haven't seen you in over a decade, and you're just going to leave?" I knew I sounded like a whiny child, but I couldn't stop. I wanted to find out what my former best friend had been up to all these years. I had so many questions for him.

"Wait… what would you say if I told you I had no idea what you're talking about?" Jacob frowned deeper than before, looking defensive now. Edward chucked lightly, and Jacob shot a death look at him.

"You think this is funny, Cullen?" he asked rhetorically. "Look, I understand that you're curious about the Pegasi and all that, but for you to come here and shove some other girl under my nose, especially when you know how I felt when you stole Bella from me…" I saw him flinch when he said my name, and his hands began to shake angrily.

"Jake, it's okay," I soothed. I rose from my position on the ground, and walked towards him cautiously, finally catching on.

"It's me, Bella," I said, smiling softly. He looked back at me sceptically, but before he was able to protest, a voice I didn't recognise spoke up.

"She's telling the truth, Jay," one of the formerly grey wolves admitted. The girl looked at Jacob tenderly, and nodded slowly. Jacob turned round, stunned to see her behind him as if he had forgotten she was there. "I heard it from Leah before, while we were fazed," the girl continued. "She recognised Bella's voice, and made a note to tell you later on."

Jacob stared at her for a few more seconds, finally comprehending her words. He walked back over to me, and inhaled slowly. He shuddered, repulsed, and then concentrated as he searched for an 'aftertaste'. His eyes widened, and he bounded towards me.

"Bells, it really is you!" he exclaimed, enveloping me in a bone-crushing hug. I smiled, and hugged him back.

"I can't believe you didn't recognise me, even after all these years…" I mocked gently.

He pulled back, and held me at arm's length. "I'm sorry about that," he admitted. "I guess I had no idea you'd look so different as a… vampire…" Even now, he struggled to get the word out of his mouth. I smiled again, accepting, and sat back down on the floor next to Edward.

"I think we have some catching up to do, Jake," I said, and he obediently sat down opposite me and my family, the other three wolves following suit.

"We might be here a while," Jacob said, pulling a face. "A lot can happen in twelve years, you know."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Seeing the sun glare from the middle of the sky into the tiny window, it finally dawned on me how long we had really been here. I relaxed into Edward's arms, thinking about all the information I had just gained.

Jacob had told us how, shortly after I had left Forks, he decided to take a break from the rest of the pack and visit another group of wolves somewhere in Canada. He met another wolf there, Imogen, who he imprinted on. Imogen was the grey wolf who had spoken earlier, when Jake wouldn't believe I was Bella. He said that he had never forgotten me, but as promised, his feelings for Imogen soon surpassed any regret he had for losing me. I felt mildly jealous, but I was happier that my friend had found his true soulmate. Imogen left her pack in Canada to join his own in Forks.

Intrigued for my friend's wellbeing, I asked how he could be sure Imogen would never leave him. After all, even though he had imprinted on her, she hadn't imprinted on him too, had she? Imogen laughed, amused at my concern for Jacob, but gently revealed that her 'soulmate' had died before she met Jacob. He healed her wounds, as she healed his, and they were planning on marrying. Their ceremony had had to be postponed after Rushmore approached the pack, though. The pack had to change their whole life for Rushmore's proposal: they had to move to England, and forget all their own needs to care for his. I also asked about his reason for agreeing to protecting Rushmore, to which he gave a vague description about how Imogen was used as bait to make Jacob agree. I looked at Imogen sympathetically, but she was still beaming at me. She seemed like a very optimistic person.

After some prompting, he revealed how he had become pack leader. I felt bad afterwards for making him speak of something that obviously hurt him, but perhaps I was just too curious for my own good. Until a couple of months ago, Sam was still the 'alpha' of their pack, but one day he came across a small group of Pegasi. Refusing to call for any other wolves, for fear he might endanger them, he tried to take them all himself, and ended up being killed. Emily was left completely devastated, and went back home to Forks. She was currently staying with Charlie, who still lived in the same house and therefore had a spare room for her.

As Jacob was supposed to be the leader originally, he assumed the role of pack leader without any questions raised. He rose to the challenge spectacularly, Imogen added, and Leah laughed sarcastically. I struggled to hide a smile myself.

I also managed to ask Jake a question that had been bothering me for a little while; I thought that, after the vampires had left Forks, the werewolves would eventually stop phasing, become human again, and start ageing like a normal person. So why was it that Jacob looked almost exactly the same as when I'd seen him last, except for the fact that half the bones in his body weren't broken anymore? He hinted that not all the vampires left Forks when we did: there were several visits from the Volturi (looking for us, probably), and a couple of other covens who had smelled that we had been in the area and wanted to investigate. I had no idea that the Cullens would leave such a mark on Forks, even after we had left.

After Jacob had enlightened me about the past twelve years of his life, I told him about my own. Edward, Carlisle and Alice all jumped in at points, adding things that I had forgotten or been too shy to mention, and Jacob's emotions ranged from laughing out loud when Alice had so nicely mentioned that yes, I did trip over when walking down the aisle at my own wedding, to feeling sad that he hadn't been there for some of the great (and not so great) moments of my life.

As if to conclude the 'meeting' we had all taken part in, Carlisle rose to his feet.

"Jacob. I would like to make a proposition to you, and your whole pack, if you wouldn't mind," he started politely. Edward looked at Carlisle for a second, skimming his thoughts, and then settled back down next to me, holding my hand a little tighter than normal. I had a feeling that what Carlisle was about to say could be a little controversial.

"Of course, Carlisle," Jacob replied, also politely. I wondered if twelve years had made him shake off some of his immature notions about vampires.

"I don't know the full extent of your 'deal' with Rushmore, but I do think something needs to be done about these Pegasi. They're out of control, to say the least," Carlisle put forward. Jacob nodded, a little hesitantly.

"So, my proposition is this, if you're up for it: my family can team up with your pack, and together, we can work on taking down some of the more dangerous creatures Rushmore let loose. All of them, if necessary," he said, adding the last part on quickly as if it was an afterthought. "I understand if your pack doesn't want to get involved, we don't want to be the cause of any trouble to you."

Jacob placed his arms behind him, and sat back, thinking. "You're right, I certainly don't want to get into any trouble with Rushmore," he began, looking pointedly at Imogen. "However, I agree that it's time something was done about these creatures. Also, it'll be exactly the opposite of what Rushmore expects: wolves and vampires teaming up together against the Pegasi, instead of teaming against each other."

Carlisle nodded, along with the rest of the Cullens, and Imogen. Esme decided to add: "Besides, we've worked together before, when Victoria's group came to Forks. I'm sure we're able to do it again." Ever the optimist, she brightened up the situation.

"Well then, it's decided," Jacob declared, smiling a little. "We may be putting a lot on the line, but I certainly think it will be worth it. Especially if we get these strange creatures abolished, and to be honest, we probably will with your help," he said, gesturing to the eight of us.

"We should go and inform the rest of the pack," Imogen decided, "And get some rest too."

"We'll meet you back here at sundown," Carlisle said, reaching out an icy cold hand towards Jacob's fever-like warm one. Jacob took it, and shook it meaningfully. The wolves left in human form, I suspected they phased as soon as they were out of human view.

"Well, _that_ was unexpected," Emmett said with his eyebrows raised. Tactful, as always.

Edward looked my way, still concerned to see if I was alright seeing Jacob again, especially now that so much had changed. "I'm okay," I whispered, not really meaning it. But I hoped I could mean it soon.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

We spent what felt like forever trying to track down the elusive Pegasi, or Dr Rushmore for that matter. It probably felt longer considering we didn't need to sleep, so we were literally searching for 24 hours every day.

Although I tried to use my 'gift' to find Rushmore, he had apparently found out what I was capable of. Every time I tried to see through his eyes, I could only see complete darkness with a light at the end, like a tunnel. After seeing this several times, Alice proposed we search the underground train tunnels, which we did, painstakingly slowly. You have _no_ idea how many tunnels there are in London…

Alice was also feeling very frustrated at her lack of helpfulness: him being a werewolf, Alice couldn't see him either, which was irritating to say the least. Edward seemed to be the only one of us who was of any use, reading his thoughts whenever possible. He often grimaced while doing this; I was worried that he was finding out seriously disturbing things from listening to this man's thoughts, but Edward didn't say anything of the sort, so I wasn't sure. He did, however, give us some insight into Rushmore's further plans. Apparently, he wanted to create enough of the winged creatures so that they could wipe out every vampire, werewolf, and eventually human. I wanted to point out that this would mean he would die too, but I figured that wouldn't be much of a price to pay for an evil genius if it meant his creations would rule the earth. The Pegasi, unlike vampires, still had to eat and sleep, however someone only had to taste one drop of Rushmore's potion and their body and mind would be altered forever.

Oblivious to Edward's power, Rushmore gave us one final piece of information while we were scanning London's tunnels. Pegasi could not only be produced by drinking the potion; if a Pegasi's blood was drunk, the drinker would become one too. The ironic thing was, the only person likely to drink their blood was a vampire, and the potion didn't affect them. This made the information seemingly useless, but being the hero that he is, Edward told us all anyway.

Working in close harmony with the wolves while trying to find out more about Rushmore and the Pegasi turned out to be easier than I had originally thought. I had to admit, I still missed Jacob, even after 'getting over' my loss of him in the first few years of being a vampire. It was nice to catch up with him, meet his friends, and his fiancée. I could finally be happy for him, as he could for me. Maybe it was possible to get a happy ending in this crazy world after all.

Just as I was thinking about happy endings, we received some news. Some of Jacob's pack had discovered Rushmore… Dead. He was at the entrance of an alley, with blood pouring from his mouth. In his eternally frozen hand, he held a shattered vial of his own potion. We came to the conclusion that he had been forced to drink it, and being a werewolf, he died.

In some ways, this news was good, because as long as no-one knew the formula for the potion, no more Pegasi would be produced unless their blood was drunk. However, the news was also bad, because our knowledge of the Pegasi was limited, and now it always would be. Would we ever find these intangible creatures?


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

**Chapter 11**

I kicked the wall, thoroughly irritated, and took out a chunk of it by accident.

We had finally run out of luck, and with it, we had run out of leads.

Now that Rushmore was gone, no-one except the creatures themselves knew where they were hiding. Everyone was utterly powerless; we hadn't even caught a glimpse of them (barring the pixelated shot of them in the newspaper), and every single one of us was utterly powerless.

Seeing my frustration, Edward walked up behind me and enveloped me into an understanding embrace. When I looked into his coal-black eyes, I knew mine were the same. None of us had so much as smelt a drop of blood since we had been here.

Noticing everyone's exasperation, Esme decided that we would all go hunting as a group. While we were gone, the wolves would take double shifts to make sure nothing got past us. Besides, we weren't much use when we were so thirsty.

While Esme spoke to us all, I detected that she was acting as the leader of our family. Come to think of it, where was Carlisle anyway? We had hardly seen him the past few days; he had insisted on going somewhere else on his own, instead of searching with the rest of us.

Before I could even open my mouth to ask this question, Alice froze. She was having a vision, and Edward was watching with her through her mind.

While Alice was still recovering, Edward explained what she had seen.

"Nothing… Absolutely nothing," he said breathlessly.

"What do you mean? Of course there's nothing, she can't see these bloody Pegasi, can she?" Emmett chimed in, subtle as ever.

"But she wasn't looking at their future, Emmett; she was looking at ours," Edward revealed. "And that means…"

"We'll be having a run in with these winged creatures," Alice announced, bright and bouncy again under Jasper's influence. "And pretty soon, as far as I can tell."

"Excellent!" Emmett exclaimed, flexing his biceps in preparation to make full use of them. Rosalie rolled her eyes, but then seeing his face fall, winked at Emmett reassuringly.

"Which also means," Esme interrupted, "we definitely need to feed. Possibly even sooner than I had anticipated."

"We'll go as soon as it's dark," Edward decided. "There's a forest just southwest of the city."

The eight of us were noticeably better spirited after having received this information. We told the wolves of our plan shortly before nightfall, and they were just as happy to hear the news.

They continued patrolling the streets and underground tunnels of London, fully prepared to fight to the death.

Realising how ready they were to fight these unknown creatures, I staggered, a little shocked. I had never fought, not even as a human. I had no idea what to do, how to defend myself or others against… anything, really.

Edward's eyes tightened as he saw me tense up. He raised his eyebrows enquiringly.

"I know it sounds insane…" I began, "but… I'm a little scared, Edward. I have no idea how to fight them," I whispered, for some reason afraid that the others would hear me.

"Don't worry, love," he reassured me, ever the optimist. "We'll practice lots. I'm sure we'll have time to train you up before our little run in."

I smiled, calmer (probably due to the fact that Jasper was now very close behind us), but I wasn't happy about the prospect of ever-looming violence. I sighed inwardly, and continued to run.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 10

**Chapter 12**

I swallowed one last time, and sighed. I could almost feel my eyes brightening to a warm gold instead of their previous black. I gently picked up the hollow animal in my hands and buried it nearby.

Once we had all fed, everyone was in a decidedly better mood, especially with the news that we would get the chance to "kick some angel ass", as Emmett had so delicately put it.

On the way to the forest we were currently in, Edward and Jasper had given me some tips about fighting. I didn't feel comfortable practicing with either one of them; at least not yet. Obviously, since none of us had fought any creature of this kind before, we had no idea what their attacking style would be like. We would all just have to brace ourselves and concentrate.

After running back to the city centre, it was almost dawn. We met most of the wolves, thoroughly exhausted, by an entrance to one of the underground stations. Most of them were in human form now at risk of being spotted.

Emmett, trying to make an effort to be civil to our natural enemies, punched a hugely yawning Jacob playfully on the shoulder. "Bet you're looking forward to the brawl, right?" he questioned, smiling. No prizes for guessing which of us was most excited about the fight…

"Yeah, it should be fun," Jacob grinned back. "I haven't fought anything but curious humans and other wolves since twelve years ago," he admitted. I could tell by the sparkle in his sleepy eye that he really was looking forward to it. I shuddered; was I the only one not excited by the thought of ridiculous violence?

Apparently, I was. The other wolves were just as hyped-up as Jake, and most of them didn't want to sleep. We continued patrolling the city together until the sun finally rose up in the sky.

The sky was clear, and as soon as the sun appeared, it blinded me with its brightness. Considering the day was so light, all the Cullens were banished to underground. Attracting unwanted human attention at this point would certainly not be advised.

Or would it..?

I placed a cold hand on Alice's shoulder. She had seen it at the same time as me, of course; attracting human attention is exactly what we needed to do! She smiled in my direction, and gave a nod of approval.

Edward, seeing Alice's vision containing my idea, approached me with a solemn look. "Just wait while I explain," I shushed him. "This could really work!"

"Guys," I addressed my family. I should really expand my vocabulary a little; I had just got so used to speaking like an eternal teenager. "I think maybe we're taking things a little too far going underground whenever it's light."

Jasper spoke first. "What do you mean, Bella? If we were out in the sun, there's no doubt people would notice we're not… ordinary." He seemed uncomfortable admitting we could not pass for human in the sunlight.

"But that's just it, Jazz," Alice chirped. "If we attract human attention, we can also attract _in_human attention!"

"Make _them_ come to _us_," I concluded. Alice raised her hand for a high-five, but Edward interrupted.

"Surely there are less… obvious ways to attract their attention, girls," he said almost patronisingly. "It's too risky; what if we get caught? Or the Volturi find out?"

"We'll just have to be subtle about it then, won't we?" I retorted.

"Obvious and subtle at the same time. It might take some luck, but I think we can do it," Emmett decided. "I'm in." Rosalie took his hand. "Me too."

I glanced at Jasper, silently asking his approval. "I'm not sure… I'm tempted to agree with Edward." Alice pouted, and fluttered her eyelashes at him. "However… I also trust my wife's decisions, especially as she can see what's going to happen and all. I'm in," he agreed. I flashed a grin at Alice, commending her.

Esme nodded her head. "I'm happy to try your idea, Bella, and I'm sure Carlisle will be too." I made a note to ask at a more appropriate time where Carlisle was; he was missing again today.

Edward, being the only one not having agreed to my idea, shook his head in anguish. "Fine. I'm in too. But don't say I didn't warn you," he muttered. I squeezed his hand gently, understandingly, and he sighed in response.

"This needs planning," Alice decided. "Let's get to work."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 10

**Chapter 13**

The plan was laid out. Everyone was in their places, ready to lure our prey out somewhere we could tackle them.

I stood in a tiny alleyway between two buildings, just in the shade. I was reminded of Edward, standing in that alley in Italy, ready to expose himself. But that was an utterly different situation; he did it to get himself in trouble. I was doing it to get us _out_ of trouble.

I took a deep, unnecessary breath, and glanced at my watch for what must have been the hundredth time in the past thirty seconds. _3:26_. Only four minutes to go, and then I would have to play my part in this façade.

I raised my hand to brush a strand of hair from my eyes, and realised that my silvery-white hand was shaking. Just a little, but enough to unnerve me. I didn't know why I was scared, really. Alice and Esme had firmly made sure that there were no humans anywhere where they could come too near to me, but there were enough to see me and spread the news about a 'glittering monster' or whatever ridiculous slogan they came up with.

Silence enveloped the space around me. I could even hear the soft tick of my watch, and the breeze lightly shaking trees opposite me. I looked at my watch again. _3:29_. This was it.

I took a breath again, and shut my eyes, just as Edward had that day. I needed to be brave, like he was. This wasn't for my sake; it was for everyone's. I had to do this.

I stepped forward, slowly and shakily despite my unnatural grace. I took another step once I knew I wasn't going to collapse. And another. Another.

I didn't stop taking steady, measured steps until I was in the centre of the square before me. I raised my head, having looked intently at the ground before, and squinted at the sun in my eyes.

Diamonds of light bounced off my pale skin. I held one hand up in the air and rotated it around, sending beams shattering off buildings and trees.

The silence grew; not even the wind broke the sudden, painful sound now. I could feel eyes on me, intriguing, human eyes. People in the distance pointed at me, some awed, some disturbed. I frowned, uncomfortable in the spotlight, but reminded myself why I was doing this. I knew that I could at least do this job without messing it up.

Then, a whooshing sound descended on me. I felt cold air brush my back immediately before three knives pierced my skin. I inhaled sharply, and turned around to see the cause.

The ground disappeared from under me. I flailed about, helpless, before realising it wasn't the ground that had moved. It was _me_. I looked up, not sure whether I wanted to see the beast that had me gripped in its vice-like talons.

Of course, looking up, I saw two enormous, white wings. About ten feet in total diameter, the creature had the wings and feet of a glorious bird, yet the body and head of a human. The being did not look at all uncomfortable with the additions to its anatomy; the wings extended from its shoulder blades and moved in unison with its arms.

I stopped the impulsive blinking I had been doing when I realised what this meant. I had been captured by this animal- taken hostage. And I hadn't even put up a fight. What the hell was I thinking?


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_A/N:__ This chapter's written in __**Alice's POV**__ instead of Bella's. It also happens to be the penultimate chapter in the story..!_

"No!" I screamed out in shock as an enormous winged creature grabbed Bella with its sharp claws and flew off with her to God knows where. Damn it, why hadn't I seen this coming? Stupid Pegasi, can't see their stupid future…

I reached out towards Edward, who had been just a few feet behind me. His face was shocked and disgusted. "Edward, do something!" I cried at him outrageously.

He stood utterly motionless, staring at the beast that was becoming a spot in the distance. He suddenly snapped out of his trance and let out a low growl.

"Thank you Alice, for enlightening me," he snapped. "Now, please could you tell me what the hell I am supposed to do? How do I get her back?" he yelled, verging on hysteria.

"I… don't know," I whimpered. I thought about sending him to run after her (he did run the fastest, after all), but what if he lost her? Did we seriously want to lose Bella and then get Edward lost as well?

While we were both contemplating other ideas, a flock of birds took to the sky. I was entranced by their beautiful white wings, not noticing they were flying directly towards us. I ducked and rolled away as one of them motioned to pick me up in its claw. Jasper was at my side in less than a second, holding my arm tightly.

Suddenly, all the wolves and the other Cullens appeared next to Edward, Jasper and I. They had seen them coming; the birds… No, not birds. They were _people_, with wings and talons.

Another Pegasi swooped then, trying to scoop one or all of us up. One of the wolves had a flash of inspiration, and when the Pegasi was lowest in the sky, he jumped.

He latched onto the creature with his teeth, and ripped out a portion of its leg. The Pegasi howled in pain, a cry like an eagle, or a hawk. The wolf discarded the piece of flesh, careful not to taste it, before readying himself to jump again.

The other wolves caught on quickly; they were all very good jumpers, and were all ripping pieces from the Pegasi whenever they came near enough to us. I felt more useless at that point that I had at any point over the last two weeks; not only could I not use my gift to help Bella at all, I was no use as a vampire either. I couldn't jump high enough to latch on to the creatures; none of us could.

I saw Edward still squinting into the distance; the Pegasi carrying Bella was still visible.

"If only…" I heard him whisper. Even though I was not the one with the mind-reading powers, I knew what he was thinking. If he was able to drink the potion, and follow Bella, he would do it. He'd give up his life, his vampirism, to go after her and bring her back safely. However, as warned by Jacob, the potion had no effect on vampires. Not that we could get our hands on the potion, anyway.

As if _he_ knew what Edward and I were thinking, Jacob Black chose this moment to approach us. He was in human form, to my surprise. I would've thought he was in on the fighting.

"I could do it," he said, so quietly it was surprising we heard him at all.

This woke Edward from his daydream. "I'm sorry? You could do what?"

"I… I could drink it. The potion. I could go get Bella, and then…" Jacob said, still quietly. Trying not to alert Imogen, I imagined.

"But Jacob, you know its effect on wolves. You would…" I started. Then I realised; he was just as willing as Edward was. He would give up his life to save Bella, too. More than that: he was _going_ to give up his life to save Bella.

"Jacob, wait!" I said, just a little too loudly, as he turned around. Imogen's sleek form whipped around to face him, and she growled. With her sweet face as a human, I couldn't even imagine her producing such a sound… It sounded threatening, like a warning.

Fortunately, Jacob paid more attention to his fiancée than he did to me. He looked at her, and mouthed two words. "_I'm sorry_."

Then, before I even had time to blink, he jumped up in the air, much higher than the other wolves were capable of. He phased right there, in mid-air, and bit off a chunk out of one of the Pegasi's wings.

Landing back on the ground with a dull "thud", Jacob grimaced while sucking all the moisture out of the flesh he had in his mouth. I could tell the taste repulsed him more than anything else, maybe even more than the smell of a vampire.

Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Esme, oblivious to Jacob's plan, looked thoroughly shocked at his action. I would have laughed, if the situation wasn't to horribly dire.

At that point, Jacob howled out in pain. His left shoulder-bone seemed to extend, like a giant hand reaching for something, and then the other one did the same. Shiny brown feathers sprouted from these newly-formed bones, and he cried out again. The other wolves cried with him, being able to read his thoughts and all. Jasper cringed beside me; Jacob's pain was affecting him, too.

I wanted to turn back time, to make Jacob come back and listen to me. Had he completely lost his mind? Bella wasn't even his to save!

As he grimaced for the last time, he took a run-up and took off up in the air, his large wings flapping and clashing in contrast with the other Pegasi's silvery white ones. I was suddenly glad that I couldn't see the future; I'm not sure _anyone_ would be satisfied with the outcome of this unpredictable turn of events.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_A/N:__ Back to __**Bella's POV**__. Final chapter!!_

I sat curled in a ball, shivering despite my immunity to the cold. I hadn't got enough energy left to be afraid: after everything I'd seen and done today, it was a miracle I was still awake at all.

Only a few minutes earlier, I had been roughly dropped into a dark, dry cave filled with various bits of bracken. I wondered for a moment why I was being kept in a cave that I could only assume was used as a nesting place, instead of being 'disposed of'. I soon dropped the thought though, not wanting to think about being thrown off the cliff I was now perching precariously on.

Suddenly courageous, I took a peek over the edge of the cliff. I immediately regretted it; I was higher up than I could even imagine. How was there even a cave so high up within reachable distance of the city? I checked around the edges of the cliff, seeing if there was a route I could climb down or escape from. My efforts were in vain, however; there was no way down, just a steep, jagged face of rock.

My legs started to shake, threatening to collapse and not wanting to support the weight of my body anymore. I relieved them by slowly sitting down, my back resting against a wall of the cave. What was I going to do? I had managed to let myself get caught by a man-made hybrid, and now I was stuck in a cave dug out of some kind of mountain, which meant it was impossible for a non-flyer to escape from.

I racked my brains for a solution to this crazy problem, although as my body grew weaker still, so did my mind. No! I told myself to snap out of it; I wasn't allowed to stop trying, not now. I got myself into this situation, and I was determined to get myself out without hurting anyone else.

I sat for what felt like days, going over different plans for escaping from this hell-hole. The cave stunk of rotting branches, and there were enormous numbers of white feathers all over the ground. It doesn't sound so bad, except for the fact that the pure smell of the feathers made me want to retch. Their scent was terrible; maybe even worse than werewolves!

Finally, I stopped thinking about escaping. It was stupid of me to think I was smart enough to come up with an escape plan anyway… Unlike with the other Cullens, vampirism and eternal high-school did nothing for my intelligence.

I felt like screaming out in anguish, but decided against it. No use attracting any unwanted attention: not now, anyway. I rested my head against the stone wall behind me, and resisted the urge to inhale.

I sat like that for a while, completely thoughtless. It was almost relaxing, despite the looming probability of a large winged creature coming back to eat me. Bummer.

Shaking me out of my previous state, a twig snapped in front of me. My eyes flew open and I tried jumping to my feet, but my legs didn't want to cooperate. Instead, I became a crumpled heap on the floor, my hair sporting various reeking feathers and bits of moss.

A choking laugh came from the same direction as the twig snapping, and I turned to see Jacob, in wolf form, standing right before me. I opened my mouth to ask how he got up here, when I noticed two ovular shadows protruding from his shoulder-blades.

"No… Jacob… What did they do to you?" I asked him, hesitant. He just shook his russet-coloured head, and came closer to me cautiously. I think he thought I might be more afraid (or at least more aware) of him now I was a vampire, considering we were supposed to be mortal enemies or something. Funny how that worked out.

He ducked his head, leaning his back towards me. I was frozen to the spot, unsure what to do. When I didn't react after another few long seconds, he gave up trying to coax me onto his back and just lifted me on himself with his newly-grown wings. I had to say, it was a startling phenomenon, this mixture of wolf and bird. It shocked me every time I looked away, even for the briefest second.

He gently dove out of the cave, not waiting too long before flapping his wings in a steady motion to keep us at the came height. When the wind altered my balance, I gripped onto his fur tightly, making him wince. I was sure he was in a lot more pain than he showed.

We flew for another few minutes before landing softly on the ground of the square I had been taken from in the first place. I was startled to find my watch only said it was 5:00, meaning an hour and a half had transpired since I stepped out into the sun, summoning the creatures to us. Now, all that was left of the flock of Pegasi was a bonfire of burning flesh, sending a curious blue-tinted smoke into the sky.

Stepping lightly off Jacob's back, I landed in Edward's cold, solid arms. I hugged him gratefully, and then turned to Jacob to thank him. I did owe him my life, after all. More than once, actually.

But when I turned, he had gone. I scanned everywhere I could see, eventually finding him in human form, his back bloody where two brown wings awkwardly grew out, cradled in his grieving fiancée's arms. Tears streamed down her hot face, looking into his eyes for conceivably the last time.

Edward had to restrain me to prevent me from running over there myself, from picking this small, broken Jacob up into my arms and taking him somewhere, anywhere, where I could fix him.

"Don't, Bella. There's nothing you can do," Edward whispered, gently but more like an order than a request. I cried cracked, dry sobs. The only person who could save me was dying in front of my eyes, and there was nothing I could do about it. I turned my face unwillingly into Edward's chest, hoping Jake wasn't in too much pain.

I waited, while the sobs subsided, and the silence grew. Turning out from the comfort of Edward's arms, I saw the entire pack circled around Jacob and Imogen, as if wishing him luck in his next life. I wanted to be there with them; I had felt as much a part of the pack as the rest of them, once. But I knew now that it was no longer my place.

Suddenly, the entire atmosphere changed. Normally, only Jasper could feel this kind of change in the environment, but this time, everyone felt it. A gust of hope blew into the square, along with a very exhausted-looking Carlisle Cullen.

Esme looked at him challengingly, and I could just imagine her scolding him for being out so long without letting her know. But now wasn't the time for that. Carlisle was on a mission.

In his cold, inhuman hand, he clutched a vial, similar to that Dr Rushmore was found holding only a few days before. As he approached the circle of werewolves, they parted like the sea did for Moses, leaving him a gap to walk through safely.

He entered the circle cautiously, as if not to disturb a dying Jacob and his grieving lover. He gently reached out with the hand carrying the vial, and tipped it over into Jacob's open mouth. Imogen reached out to stop him, tears clouding her vision, but Carlisle's quick fingers avoided her disturbance.

Just seconds after having tasted Carlisle's potion, Jacob sat up, coughing and wheezing. "Jay?" Imogen said, her voice thick from crying.

He just grinned a cheeky smile at her. "Well, I gave you a proper scare there, didn't I?"

The two embraced, following the entire pack showering Jacob with hugs and congratulations.

"What was that?" Esme asked Carlisle, after he had returned to stand with us. "What did you give him?"

"The reason I've been absent so much the past few days," Carlisle explained, "is because I was working on an antidote. I had a feeling something like this would happen, and I was sure if someone could create a potion so deadly it would produce wings, I could make something to counter it." He now smiled proudly, happy at his achievement.

"Well, I think you got there just in time," Jasper chimed in. "He looked in a pretty bad way just now."

"You wouldn't know it," I finished, truthfully. Jacob was now standing up on two legs, encircled my his friends and family, the wings he once had now just scars across his back. I smiled a grateful smile at him, and he gave me one in return. It seemed like nothing more needed to be said; this was our way of thanking each other for everything we had achieved these past few days, and everything we had been through in the past, too.

A few days later, back at home, Edward and I raced for the post again, like we had that fateful day when we learned of the 'angels' in London. Instead of a paper, however, this time Edward came in carrying a shiny white envelope in his mouth.

My name was on the front, and I opened it, frowning.

_Dear Bella Swan, and seven guests._

_You are invited to the wedding ceremony of Jacob Black and Imogen Harper._

After reading the first two lines on the sheet of obviously expensive paper, I was content that everything in my 'life' was how it should be. Maybe happy endings do exist, after all.

_A/N:__ Well, that's it, folks! At risk of sounding like a celebrity who's gotten too old to be on real television so now has to do adverts: if you're looking for some more fanfic, have a look at some of my other stories, and my favourites. :) Thanks for reading!!_

_**EdwardsSoul101.**_


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